


Firi and Fox in: the Hangover

by AudioCircus



Series: OC Kiss Week 2018 [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: OC Kiss Week, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 09:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13338582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AudioCircus/pseuds/AudioCircus
Summary: OC Kiss Week Part 1: Fox invites the Inquisitor to a party with his people- it goes about as well as one might expect.Firiel Lavellan is @princessbatteringram's Inquisitor





	Firi and Fox in: the Hangover

“Ah- Inquisitor. Here to argue with me about what is and isn’t a Mage again?” Fox asked over his shoulder, tucking a roll of clothing and a small bundle of herbs into his backpack as the door to his quarters came open, the inquisitor leaning against the doorframe with her brow arched over at him. “I’m afraid I haven’t the time for that, in any scenario.” he explained, slinging his bag over his shoulder and clapping his hands together in front of his chest. “I’ve got a revel to attend.” He grinned, grabbing his daggers and starting out the door, getting far enough to try and close it behind him, before he was snagged by the collar of his shirt. “Hey now! Easy Boss.” He squawked, turning on his heels and casting his gaze down to the elf still gripping his shirt.

“Listen, Fox, I know you and being told to do things don’t go together that well, but I know I’ve told you that because you’re conscripted, you can’t just randomly leave here.” Firi insisted, releasing the collar of his top before continuing. “And what on earth is a revel?”

“It’s a Menagerie thing, we all meet up in the forest somewhere, set up camp, hunt for three days, and then party for two weeks straight, or until we all end up in an exhausted heap somewhere. I had every intention to leave a note. Or bring Iron Bull with me so you didn’t think I was plotting an escape. I have no reason not to come back here, of course, but you and that boring egg mage of yours are like, the antithesis of fun whenever Coryphe-dick is mentioned and I want to get away from that for a few days.” Fox explained, leaping up on the railing of the ramparts and making himself comfortable with a dramatic wave of his hand. He seemed to be thinking for a moment before he jumped down again, grabbing Firi by the hand and letting out a sound somewhere between a yell and a cheer. “I know! You come with me! That way I can’t possibly break the stipulations of the fact I’m legally bound by the fact you own my services by being too far away from a governing body, or whatever. And you get away from all those boring old sticks in the mud who wouldn’t know a good time if it kicked their teeth in like Lordy.”

“Fox, I don’t think the inquisitor disappearing into the woods for two weeks would be… particularly acceptable.” Firi started, but judging by her grin, and the fact she was already following the rogue out to the stables where they both thanked Dennett and raced out of the front of Skyhold’s gates atop them, she wasn’t about to protest much further at the idea of a break- and a party, at that. “So how on earth do you know where we’re going, anyway? I have someone screen every correspondence you get before it’s given to you and nobody mentioned any sort of party.”

“Oh, easy. Mantis told me. Ah, your people call her Dae’Vahelan. And by your people I mean the Inquisition. Not elves. She’s terribly elfy, as Sera would call her, but she’s the best damn hedge witch the Maker’s ever had any hand in putting in my path. She’s keeping an eye on the Menagerie while I play hero with you and yours. Point is, if she wants to contact me, we don’t need a letter to do it. She got me the location and the date the other day, and you caught me in the midst of my packing.” He informed, motioning to the particularly light bag on his back.

“Yes, isn’t that… a little light for two weeks in the woods?”

“Well no. not if you’re not wearing that many articles of clothing while you’re there. I mean I had plans to see if Bull or Dorian wanted to come, like I said, because of all people I work with, I’d fully enjoy seeing them naked, but you probably need the break more than any of us. The point of a Revel is to go crazy, let go, be happy for a good week or two and not let anything get to you. It’s a break from having to be proper and composed for the people who were never suited for Orlesian politics and fancy dress.” Fox reasoned with a shrug, reaching a hand to pat the side of Lord’s End’s neck and settling further down into his saddle with a yawn. “We’re going to be riding for about a day, out to the deep woods in the Hinterlands. Last year the party was in the Frostbacks and that was easily the worst saddle sore I’ve ever gotten in my life.”

Firi listened with a faint smile- getting away did sound pleasant enough, if she was honest the “Inquisitor” thing wore on her a little bit more than she wanted to reveal. Maybe getting into a little trouble with Fox was worth the trip- he never was a dull experience after all. “Alright, alright, we’ll go to this party of yours, but next time you plan on vanishing for 2 weeks can you tell me before you go spiriting me away on your adventures?”

“Why, Lady Lavellan, if I did that, it’d hardly be an adventure now would it?” He questioned with a smirk, giving a shout and sending his mount into a full gallop, the mare letting out an excited neigh and speeding ahead. “KEEP UP, INQUISITOR!” He called over his shoulder with a laugh, Firiel shaking her head and nudging her own mount into a proper run to follow.

The Menagerie camp was more like a market than a roving band when they arrived, tents and caravans planted around a forest clearing, populated with humans, dwarves and elves hawking their wares to the others who were purchasing them happily and conversing with those around them. The smell of spices and cooked meat hung in the air, small fires cooking ram and druffalo as the sound of a small band playing folk songs lilted into the air. It wasn’t quite the party she was expecting when Fox had explained it to her, but everyone seemed to stop at their arrival, parting from the pathways to drop to their knees, left arms crossed over their chests. Firiel blinked slightly, looking from the Menagerie to Fox himself, seemingly unbothered from his perch on the back of Lord’s End, stopping slightly at the end of a path and leaping from her back firmly. “Come on now Inquisitor, certainly you’re used to people bowing when you walk in, no? Well, hate to break it to you, but they’re bowing for me this time.” He teased, reaching up to help her down. “Welcome to the Menagerie, Lady Lavellan. You’re not in the castle anymore.” He winked, waving her to follow. “Come, come, we’ve got to find Mantis, Lamb will take the mounts to the stables.” and then he was off, and the collective seemed to relax once more, the jovial atmosphere picking back up.

“Did you tell them to do that? An ego like yours I’d reason people bowing to you would be something you’d suggest.” Firi nudged with a smirk, falling into step alongside Fox with a laugh. He wove in and out between stalls and groups of people, the sound of music rising louder and louder over the group before she laid eyes on the source, an elven mage dancing around a fire with her curly hair braided with gold and stones, the bones of small animals hanging from around her neck and ears, Halla with razor sharp teeth painted on dark, bare skin, a cloak hanging loose around her back and little more than a black and gold sash of fabric tied around her chest and hips hiding parts of her frame, she was singing openly, a song Firi wasn’t familiar with, something about captains and sailing, of a woman called bad luck saving those out to sea- and then she stopped, mid-turn, and caught sight of Fox and then, leveled Firi with a brilliant green gaze. “Oh… wow.”

“Firi, this is Mantis. As I said on our way here, properly calling her is Dae’Vahelan, and if you’re afraid of her- call her the Siren.” Fox introduced, Mantis already catching him by the coat collar and hugging him to her chest, tutting over him like a concerned mother before setting a kiss on his forehead, the man coming away with a gold pair of lips on his skin. “Ech. Mantis, Firiel Lavellan.”  
“Andaran atish’an, Lady Inquisitor. When Fox told me that the herald was of the people, I thought he was pulling one over on me. But oh, look at you, pretty darling you are! Fox didn’t tell me you were this cute~! Or that you were accompanying him to the Revel. He leaves many things out of his letters, I realize.” Mantis smiled, planting her hands on her narrow hips and giving Firiel a once over. “In any case, we are very happy to welcome you to the Menagerie, even as a visitor. A revel is a once in a lifetime experience, after all. Now that you two are here, of course, we can get started. Fox, be a dear and take our honored guest to ready herself for the party! I’m surprised you’re overdressed for this.”

“I just got here!” Fox protested in turn, sighing under his breath. “Alright, alright. I’ll take my scolding and go. Firi, if you’ll follow me, the artists of the clan need to have their way with us before we can get into trouble.” He informed, waving for her to follow as Mantis cooed over Firi with the other women in the group around the fire. “She likes you, boss. Mantis is my second in command around here.” He explained, disrobing as he ducked past the open flap of another tent, pleasantly greeting a small dwarven woman with wild red curls and gold painted under bright blue eyes, a brush in her hand and the same glittering gold paint that adorned Mantis in a pot on the table beside her. “And this here, is Quillback. She’s not usually playing nice with the artists, but I guess we’re busier this year than I thought.”

“That we are boss, now go sit down with Deepstalker and he’ll get you all in order.” Quillback smirked, waving Firiel over with a smile. “So you’re the inquisitor, huh? I gotta say, when we started getting word about you, I was expecting someone… bigger. But hey, who am I to judge, right?” she grinned, patting the chair beside her. “I’m gonna be doing your revel paint for the night, you can disrobe as far as you’re comfortable, most of us end up dressed about like Mantis before the party starts though. Sometimes the Boss doesn’t even bother wearing that much clothing.” She muttered, motioning to Fox and the qunari boy painting gold in the lines of the human’s tattoos and scars.

“So you all just… dance around naked in the woods? And here I thought that was an elf rumor.” Firiel joked, Quillback letting out a giggle and taking her coat as she shed out of her clothes, moving to pass her one of the black and gold sashes to cover her upper body with, following it a moment later with a similar one tied in an ornate knot to cover her hips. “Maybe I should make this the uniform at skyhold, everyone is so insistent on pants and shoes there.” She laughed, Quillback stifling another one of her own behind her hand as she set to painting delicate lines and swirls on Firiel’s skin.

“I support that decision wholeheartedly.” Fox chimed from his place, tying one of the slips of fabric around his own waist and down his legs into makeshift pants, the rest of him covered in piercings and skulls the same as the mages at the fire. “But let’s make sure you survive this party before you go making promises to stick to the menagerie culture, yeah? Everyone else is doing their own painting, or had it finished long before we showed, so welcome to the Revel, Inquisitor, you’re not gonna remember much of it come the end of the week.” He pointed out with a toothy grin, waving for her to follow him out to the camp once more.

It was like a switch had been flipped. A table sat piled with food and drink, the adults of the Menagerie all adorned in gold and silver, tattoos and piercings glittering under the setting sun as they sang and danced, everyone practically bare in the slight chill of the forest cover. Mantis wasn’t hard to miss, tall as she was she stood heads above most of the partiers, aside from the rare qunari, dancing and singing with the performers again, magic glittering and crackling from her palms. The people who had previously been cooking and working were drinking and kissing, ornate drawings smeared from contact and making everyone look like they were drenched in stardust. Fox hurried into the fray, greeting others and chattering with them, jewelry and skulls in hair and hung around hands and necks, the atmosphere was chaotic, sparkly, and Firiel was starstruck for only a moment, before she was racing into the celebration behind Fox with the same excited expression.

The night carried on into day faster than she could have imagined, food eaten and drinks taken in, the warmth in her stomach and the pleasant buzz in her head carrying her through many a song and dance, and as the partiers seemed to lose track of time, they seemed only to enjoy themselves more, Fox and a short Qunari boy competing in an archery contest and celebrating in equal parts as the qunari beat him at every turn, the boy’s curly hair covering his eyes as he bounced in place then raced off to tell his friends. But eventually there arrived a lull, late into the second night they sat around the fire, stories of heroes and bravery, of magic and the Fade passed in many languages and translated for all those who surrounded the flickering light. She enjoyed greatly the story Mantis told, of her time at sea, a pirate, stealing treasure and saving maidens from the clutches of cruel noblemen. She had laughed as Mantis insist she join her in acting out the tale, the two of them leaping around the group with wooden swords clashing. As the story ended and they settled they were both met with uproars of applause and the next story in the circle began, the red-haired elf dropping herself back down beside Fox, a glass of alcohol in one hand and the other thrown around the shoulders of a grinning dwarf.

“So, Firi! How are you liking your first Revel?” He questioned with a flash of brilliant teeth, the dwarf seemingly curious too, by the look on his face. “I’ve not been able to catch up with you too much, but I’ve gotten it on good authority that you’ve taken it in stride, yes?”

“Well I can’t say much for the kissing strangers and vanishing suddenly for a few hours, but I’ve certainly enjoyed the getting to eat, drink, sing and be merry part. You do this for a whole week?”

“Two, if we can swing it, but if you’re getting tired, there’s no shame in tapping out.” He reminded with a smirk. “Most people can’t cut it, I totally understand.” He promised, Firiel scoffing under her breath.

“Nugshit, old man, I can handle a week long party, It’s day two and I feel great!” She shot back, grabbing him by the hand and tugging him up to his feet. “You’re the one lazing around.” She reminded, Fox looking down at her pointedly for a second before laughing. “What!?”

“Oh nothing, you just remind me of Mantis at her first Revel when we were teens. She went so hard she blacked out for three of the seven days.” He pointed out with a grin. “Though she was very much an active participant in the… kissing strangers and vanishing for two hours thing. As was I.” He pointed out with a chuckle, Firiel’s brows creasing in thought before she leapt up onto one of the felled logs used as seating and caught Fox by the tangles atop his head and yanked him into a kiss, the gold line painted down her lip likely smeared now. The half-elf’s lips tasted like smoke and alcohol, bitter and sweet in equal parts, and while he was clearly not protesting the kiss, or the suddenness of it, the reverie was cut a bit short by another voice piping up in the background.

“Oh I get it. Fox doesn’t even like women, but all elves remain unable to resist his charms?” Firi pulled away with a laugh, Fox bending over and cackling wildly as he caught sight of a particularly disappointed looking Mantis. “What’s so funny! I’m upset. It’s like he’s a magnet for all things Elfy. I don’t understand it.” She continued, skirting into the circle and setting a pointed kiss on Fox’s temple.  
“Trust me Mantis, I’m just as surprised about that as you are.”

“What!? I want to experience the whole breadth of a revel, and if that requires I kiss a few people, why not start with your head honcho?” Firiel pointed out with a grin, leaping down from where she’d stood. “He’s got booze breath though, Have you stopped drinking since you started, Trevelyan?”

“Not when I can help it.” He pointed out with a shrug. “I hope you realize if I remember this by the end of the week I’m telling everyone in skyhold I kissed the inquisitor.” And with that, he was gone, racing off with a cackle not unlike the hyena painted into the skin on his back to talk with another group of people.

“Is now a bad time to point out that I am also in charge and also way cuter and have no interest in getting people to know I kissed the inquisitor?” Mantis questioned, hiding a smile behind one thin hand. “I cannot emphasize the being cuter than Fox enough. He means well but he refuses to bathe more than once in a blue moon and really I-” Mantis let out a laugh as she was quieted with a kiss of her own, the elf a good bit softer than Fox, what with his beard in the way. Mantis was gentler, if not more excited, pulling away after a moment and clapping to herself. “Oh yay! See, now this is a good party. You. I like you. I’m very glad you’re the last hope for Thedas and all that. Now come on, we have to drink until we all pass out, that’s how you do this Revel thing. Don’t listen to Fox when he says it’s only lightweights who do that, we know where the fun is.” She insisted, flinging an arm around Firiel’s shoulders and sauntering off to the buffet table.

Firi would have been lying if she claimed to have been keeping track of all the days the party went on, but one day she found herself awakening at dawn, heaped with a group of Menagerie members who, judging by the groans, had awakened in a similar headache-riddled state. “Ugh… I feel like I went three rounds with a bronto and lost.” She muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose and spotting Fox across the way, asleep in a tree, stark naked, and holding the severed head of a bear in his hand. “Hey! Fox!” She shouted, the answering groan more satisfying than she had hoped it would be.

“Ugh. What?” He grunted, reaching up a hand to rub his eyes. “Oh Maker damn it all, I’ve done it again.” he complained, dropping the bear’s head and leaping from his perch in the tree, tying a piece of sailcloth around his waist and mimicking the pinch of the nose to try and chase off the sudden headache setting in. “Hm. Well, looks like we made it to the end of the Revel. Alive. And with only one dead bear this time.” he observed, clapping Firiel on the shoulder as he passed her. “Well, that was fun, but we should probably get back to Skyhold. Commander Cullen’ll have my head if you’re gone longer than two weeks, and I’d rather not be around for when Mantis gets up and we have to clean.”

Fox vanished into the stables, and as Firi watched him wander away, delirious and clearly nursing a hangover, she smiled. Maybe a break was what she needed after all. The question of if she was ever going to remember the events of the weeks before, well, that would remain to be seen.

“OH FUCK I STOLE ANOTHER HORSE.”

Or, maybe she needed to find a companion who had less tendencies to steal hooved creatures to spend her idle time around.


End file.
